Dear editor: In review of the incident you published concerning Father Bob Poandl on Sept. 18, 2010, I would like to offer another view of the facts.
The case against Father Poandl has been dismissed, as indicated. However, it is SNAP’s (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests) libelous decision to continue the harassment of this priest by pressuring the Bryan County News, The Coastal Courier.com news/article/24430 and The Claxton Enterprise to print this article one to two days prior to Father Poandl’s arrival in Claxton. SNAP doesn’t want you to know that they pressured 12 dioceses to publish this allegation to fish for other victims. As a result, not one person came forward to ally themselves with the insinuation.
I believe what SNAP has done in this case is try to smear Father Poandl’s unblemished record of dignity and honesty by this continual harassment even after all allegations were dismissed.
Isn’t it enough that after 15 months, Father Poandl has endured humiliation and alienation of all priestly duties he so loves, only to come home and find himself still being persecuted. Aside from all the disparity of these allegations, the legal representation to clear himself cost him indebtedness of more than $150,000, of which he will pay for the rest of his life.
In closing, instead of listening to SNAP and publishing Father Poandl’s picture, why not publish the pictures of all convicted child molesters? Maybe then it will be worth the news space.